Historic Kuching post office among 52 plots of land returned to S'wak, says Premier

KUCHING: The historic General Post Office building in the city centre here will be returned to the state government, says Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

The Sarawak Premier said the building was among the 52 plots of land to be returned to Sarawak by the Federal Government.

"Yes, the post office will be given back to Sarawak. We want to take it back because it's an iconic heritage building," he told reporters after attending the state-level Maal Hijrah celebration here on Wednesday (July 19).

Built in 1931, the General Post Office building at Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg features a distinct neo-classical style with Corinthian columns.

Abang Johari said the return of undeveloped land acquired by the Federal Government was one of the matters discussed at the Malaysia Agreement 1963 technical committee meeting on Tuesday (July 18).

"The Federal Government previously required land for projects, but some of the projects were not implemented for various reasons.

"Since the land remained unused, we requested it to be given back to Sarawak," he said.

Abang Johari said the state government would return the premium paid by the Federal Government at the time it acquired the land.

He added that the state government had its own plans for developing the land.

On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who chaired the technical committee meeting in Putrajaya, said the Federal Government agreed to return 55 lots of land acquired from Sabah and Sarawak which remained undeveloped.

He said this involved 52 lots of land owned by Sarawak and three owned by Sabah.